2:4a

I have been banished from Your sight: Here Jonah expressed what he said or thought as he was drowning. He felt that the LORD was no longer present with him and was no longer caring for him or protecting him (Keil-Delitzsch, p. 401). Notice that what Jonah said or thought in 2:4a–b can be expressed as either direct or indirect speech. (See the Display at 2:4a.) You need to decide which is most natural in your language. Using an indirect quote with the verb “thought,” as the Good News Translation has done, suggests that this was what Jonah was thinking (or saying to himself) in the sea, rather than a prayer he was speaking.

2:4b

yet I will look once more toward Your holy temple: There is a textual problem with this part of the verse. The Hebrew text has the word ʾaḵ which means “yet, surely.” However, scholars disagree about whether to translate this or to follow an alternative text which has ʾeyḵ “how.” So the English versions are divided and there are two choices:

(1) Follow the Hebrew text which has the word ʾaḵ “yet, surely.” In this case, this is an expression of hope and confidence that Jonah would once again see the LORD’s holy temple:

Yet/Surely I will once again look upon/toward your holy temple.

(See Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, King James Version, New Century Version)

(2) Follow the one Greek manuscript which has read the word as ʾeyḵ “how.” In this case, Jonah’s expression is one of hopelessness: he thought he would never see the temple again:

How can I again look upon/toward your holy temple?

(See Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, God’s Word, New Jerusalem Bible, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures, New Living Translation (2004), New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible)

Although a number of modern translations follow the second option, it has very little textual support. Therefore it is recommended that you follow the first option. Since many modern translations follow the second option, however, it is recommended that you refer to this option in a footnote.

Your holy temple: The term holy here refers to the fact that this temple is dedicated to the LORD for sacred purposes and belongs to him alone.

Scholars do not agree whether the temple mentioned here (2:4) and the temple mentioned in 2:7 referred to the temple in Jerusalem or to God’s dwelling place in heaven. Avoid referring to the location of the temple in these verses if possible. In both verses, the sense seems to be “the holy place where you (the LORD) live.”

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